


Team Building

by helvel



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Huxlolidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-11-22 05:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11373108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helvel/pseuds/helvel
Summary: Fed up with their constant bickering, Snoke sends Kylo and Hux on a team building exercise so that they can learn to work out their differences. When they arrive on Scarif, Kylo and Hux come to a horrifying realization - the Supreme Leader doesn’t understand the difference between ‘team building exercise’ and ‘romantic getaway’, and now they’ll be spending the next few days together in the honeymoon suite at a couples resort.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy [Huxlolidays](https://huxlolidays.tumblr.com/)! Prompt fills will be posted to my tumblr every other day, and once a week I’ll compile them into a single chapter that’s posted here. Be sure to follow me at [@helvel](http://helvel.tumblr.com/) if you want to keep up with the fills as they’re written!
> 
> This chapter is for a single prompt for July 1 – _Are we there yet?_

“ _SILENCE!_ ” Snoke roared, voice echoing throughout the audience chamber.

Hux’s mouth snapped shut so hard that his teeth clacked together. Nothing annoyed him more than being interrupted, though he didn’t dare continue when faced with such disapproval on Snoke’s face.

“I’ve had enough of this,” Snoke said in exasperation, “It’s always the same. Kylo did this, Hux did that. By now I expected that the two of you would be able to behave without bringing these petty squabbles to me all the time.”

It was insulting to have Hux’s own valid concerns reduced to the trifles that Kylo complained about, but Hux knew his place. “Apologies, Leader Snoke,” he said.

“Kiss ass,” Kylo mumbled at him.

“Enough!” Snoke pressed long, decrepit fingers to his temple. Hux had never realized just how weary the Supreme Leader looked until now. “Go,” he said, waving a hand at them dismissively. “You will receive orders for your next mission shortly.”

“… Are you talking to me?” Kylo asked.

“Of course he’s talking to you,” Hux hissed, “Supreme Leader does not assign missions to me-”

“ _Silence!_ ” Snoke roared again. “I’m talking to both of you.”

Hux barely managed to mask the incredulity on his face. “What kind of mission could you possibly assign to both of us?” he asked.

Shadows darkened Snoke’s face as he leaned in towards them. “A test like neither of you has ever faced before. I’m sending you on a  _team building exercise._ ”

* * *

Orders for the mission arrived shortly after, with a flight plan to Scarif and a reservation at what appeared to be some sort of resort. If Hux had his choice, he would ignore the mission. Team building was a waste of time and resources. The First Order’s mission was enough to unite those under Hux’s command, but of course Kylo could not follow reason. Now Hux would be spending a full five cycles occupied with the so called mission.

Hux arrived at the Finalizer’s departure bay expecting to find the unmarked transport vessel that he requested ready for boarding. Instead, Kylo Ren’s personal command shuttle was perched and awaiting departure. Hux found the technician responsible for the mix up and demanded an explanation.

“I’m sorry, sir,” the terrified technician stammered. “But he said- Lord Ren said to-”

“Is there a problem, General Hux?”

Hux whirled around to find Kylo looming over him.  "There has been a mistake, Lord Ren,“ Hux said. “The shuttle I requested is not yet ready for depart-”

“My shuttle will do,” Kylo said.

In the reflective visor of Kylo’s mask, Hux saw his own face twitch in annoyance. It was bad enough when the Supreme Leader interrupted him, but Kylo was infinitely worse. Hux maintained his composure and shook his head. “It’s no matter. The technicians will prepare a vessel for us now. The delay won’t us back too far on schedule.”

“My shuttle will do,” Kylo repeated. He took Hux by the elbow and made to lead him on board.

Outraged, Hux jerked his arm out of Kylo’s grasp. He should have known that Kylo was responsible for the mix up. It was protocol to use an unmarked vessel for non-Order business, but of course Kylo would want to take his own modified shuttle. Hux took a deep breath and forced down the simmering rage that Kylo was so good at bringing to the surface.

“General?” Kylo prompted.

Hux took another deep breath, counting backwards from ten. The terrified technician was still watching them, and Hux tried to avoid arguing with Kylo in front of their subordinates whenever possible. It was not worth it to put up a fight over this, not when Hux would need to conserve his energy for the five days of arguing that spanned ahead of them in the name of ‘team building’. Conceding to Kylo’s wishes, Hux followed him on board.

He regretted it immediately.

“ _Ugh,_ ” Hux complained, toeing at the crumpled up food wrappers scattered around an overflowing trash bin. “I thought I’d assigned someone to look after your ship.”

Kylo just grunted in acknowledgement as he jammed at the buttons of the control panel. “Yeah. I fired him.”

“ _You_  fired him? You don’t have that authority.”

“He was an idiot.”

Hux held his tongue, knowing that this was another argument that wasn’t worth having. He took a seat in the copilot’s chair (after brushing off the crumbs that littered it first) and watched as Kylo completed the takeoff cycle. Despite the non-regulation modifications to the ship, its flight was smooth, and Hux could barely feel the change in resistance as it moved from the hangar to the Finalizer’s containment field. After the jump to hyperspace, Kylo stood and unlatched his helmet, dropping it onto the pilot’s seat.

“Come on, the bed is in the back,” he said as he left the cockpit.

Hux’s eye twitched. “Why should I care about where the sleeping quarters are?”

Kylo reappeared in the doorway, having shed his cowl and outer robe as well. He quirked a grin at Hux that had no right to look that charming.  "The flight plan is six hours. Did you have any other ideas on how to pass the time?“

Begrudgingly, Hux followed Kylo into the sleeping quarters.

This room appeared to be slightly less disgusting than the rest of the ship, and Hux found his attention drawn to the familiar sight of Kylo sprawled out on the bedsheets with one hand pushed down the front of his leggings. Hux took a seat beside him, watching the concealed movement of his hand as he stroked himself. Kylo’s lopsided grin looked even better now that there was a slight flush on his cheeks.

"You like that?” Kylo asked. “You like watching me stroke my big cock, Hux?”

Hux hummed in agreement. “I would like it even more if you put that filthy mouth to good use.”

Kylo complied at once, shifting over the bed so his head was resting against Hux’s thigh. With his free hand, he unlatched the front of Hux’s trousers and reached inside to draw out Hux’s hardening cock.

“Good boy,” Hux said, taking pleasure in the vibrations of the pleased hum that Kylo made. Hux patted his cheek. Perhaps five days with just the two of them would be a good opportunity to make the most of this… whatever ‘this’ was between them. It was the most Hux could hope for from the team building retreat. After all, how could several days of trust-falling into each other’s arms possibly smooth the waters between them, when even several months of falling into each other’s beds hadn’t eased any of the tension?

Hux had given up hope of any sort of professional relationship with Kylo, and the past months had only made him more sure that a sizeable cock was Kylo’s only redeeming feature. Unfortunately, it was attached to the rest of him. Fortunately, it was very difficult for Kylo to say anything stupid when his mouth was full of Hux’s cock.

* * *

The ship gave a subtle shake as they dropped out of hyperspace and into Scarif’s orbit. Hux rolled from the bed and hurried to the cockpit, still fastening his trousers as he pushed aside Kylo’s helmet to sit in the pilot’s seat. Despite the modifications to the control panel, he quickly figured out how to override the flight plan and take manual control of the steering.

Kylo joined him a few moments later to take a seat in the copilot’s chair. Hux paid no mind to him. He was busy watching the planet’s surface. Scarif was rich with Imperial history, and none of the sites were as fascinating as-

“Ah, there it is!”

He’d always heard that the crater left from the destruction of the Imperial base on Scarif was visible from orbit, and it was true. There was nothing but an expansive crater where the base had once been, several miles across and devoid of the oceans and greenery that covered the rest of the planet. Hux sighed as he watched it. He imagined Citadel Tower at the center, and the vault inside. All the knowledge housed in that place, lost thanks to the careless actions of a few Rebel agents…

“ _Hux!_ ” Kylo wrenched the control column to the side, turning sharply to avoid collision with a cargo ship.

Though his heart ached with the defeat that the Empire had suffered that day, Hux composed himself as Kylo steered them nearer to the planet. They circled the island that held the resort, and Hux frowned as he saw a collection of small huts rather than a frigidly air conditioned convention center like he’d hoped for. It was just his luck that Snoke had selected some sort of pseudo-rustic outdoorsy resort. Stars help him if he and Kylo were made to go on any sort of nature hike in the name of team building; Hux would be crumpled with heat exhaustion within the hour.

Scarif’s humid atmosphere hit them the moment they stepped out in the hangar, and Hux could already feel sweat beading on his brow. He needed to get somewhere with a cooling unit, fast. He led the way through the front gate of the resort, Kylo trailing behind him. Everyone inside was dressed in what was likely considered beach wear in some parts of the galaxy, though Hux considered it entirely inappropriate. He wrinkled his nose as a pair of resort-goers walked by, hand in hand and clothed only in matching floral bikinis. Team building or not, there was no way Hux and Kylo would end up doing anything like that.

Hux had strode several steps ahead by the time he realized that Kylo had stopped walking.

“Uhh…” Kylo had forgone his helmet, and without the vocoder modulating his voice, there was no disguising the way that his voice broke with nervousness. “This place is…”

For once, Hux felt like he could understand what was going through Kylo’s mind. “You needn’t worry. Whatever is required of us in the name of  _team building,_  I’ll ensure we remain clothed appropriately,” he assured Kylo.

“No. I mean. This isn’t the right place. This  _can’t_  be the right place.”

Hux raised an eyebrow at him. Kylo had been the one to pilot them here, and it matched the coordinates exactly. Dismissing Kylo’s concerns as more of his usual complaining, Hux led them on to what appeared to be the front office of the resort.

The check-in desk was draped with roses, and the host sitting behind it beamed at them.

“Welcome!” he chirruped happily.

Feeling much more agreeable now that he was back in temperature-controlled air, Hux provided their identification for their reservation. Kylo hovered several steps away, shoulders drawn up. His poor control of his emotions meant that they radiated off him through the Force, and Kylo was broadcasting discomfort like a signal tower. It made the hair on the back of Hux’s neck stand up, though he didn’t bother worrying about what set Kylo off this time. Kylo’s moods were always inexplicable and unpredictable, and Hux had other things to concern himself with.

The host finished confirming their reservation and handed over their room cylinder, along with an access chip for something called the  _Sunset Cruise._  He then reached through a containment field into a small hyperbaric chamber and drew out two roses. Seeing that Kylo was still hovering at a distance, the host handed both roses to Hux and smiled as he wished them a lovely stay.

Kylo still reeked of anxiety as Hux led them to the hut where they would be staying for the next few days. It was identical to every other hut on the same block, and Hux considered that it wouldn’t be easy to find his way back here after having a few drinks.  _Beachside Bar!_ had been displayed on one of the signs behind the check-in desk, and as much as Hux hated beaches, he might need to go there in pursuit of a strong drink after spending too much time with Kylo.

Hux scanned the room cylinder at the hut’s front door. Despite its wooden appearance, the door slid open for them. Inside, the hut was designed to look just as rustic, with modern comforts disguised amongst the décor. Hux was drawn to the view from the balcony door. He set down the two roses on a table that had a dozen more in a vase, before crossing the room to take in the view.

The sea spanned as far as the eye could see, sparkling with the pink and orange hues of the setting sun. It was a breathtaking view - and an expensive one, Hux knew. Hopefully Snoke was paying for this out of his own pocket rather than billing it to the Order.

As long as the room was theirs, though, Hux would make the most of it.

“Ren, come see this,” he ordered.

Kylo didn’t move. He’d only stepped into the doorway far enough for the door to slide shut behind him, and now his gaze darted around the room like he expected something to jump out at them at any moment.

“Uh, Hux, this is…”

“What?”

“This is a honeymoon suite.”

A long moment passed before Hux was even able to make sense of that remark. “Don’t be ridiculous. There wouldn’t be a honeymoon suite at a team building resort.”

“It’s not a team building resort. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Kylo’s eyes were wide with fear. “This is a couples resort.”

“Nonsense. The Supreme Leader wouldn’t have sent us on a…” Hux trailed off, unwilling to say the words 'romantic getaway’. “This must just be how they do team building on Scarif. It’s a cultural difference.”

“There’s only one bed.”

“Negotiation for it must be our first exercise for team building.”

“The bathtub is shaped like a heart.”

“For ergonomic purposes, I’m sure.”

“ _Hux!_ ” Kylo smacked at the controls on the wall panel. Rose petals fell from a vent on the ceiling to scatter over the bed, and a droid rolled out of a service hatch to present them with a bottle of chilled champagne and two flutes.

Hux could feel the blood draining from his face. It seemed impossible. Someone as wise as the Supreme Leader could not have made a mistake so blatant as thinking 'team building’ and 'romantic getaway’ were the same thing. Hux forced himself to remain calm as the last of the rose petals fluttered down onto the bed.

“We must tell him at once,” he said. Then he imagined himself comlinking Snoke, just to tell him how thoroughly he’d screwed up. “… you should send the transmission, Ren.” Kylo was shaking his head before Hux even finished the words, just as horrified at the thought. Hux took a deep breath and considered their options.

“Very well, then,” he said, “I’m sure you’ve already realized that you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is made up of three Huxlolidays prompts:
> 
> July 3 - Did you put some sunscreen on?  
> July 5 - Barbecue in the garden  
> July 7 - Music festival/popular ball in Arkanis
> 
> I post the fills at my tumblr on their prompt dates, so check out [@helvel](http://helvel.tumblr.com/) if you want to read the next parts before they come to AO3!

 

Pain strengthened his connection to the Dark Side. Kylo reminded himself of that fact, just as his spine gave an alarming pop. The night on the couch had been cramped and unpleasant, and Kylo’s reflection now stared back at him with dark circles under his eyes. Pain strengthened his connection to the Dark Side…

He didn’t understand why Hux made such a big deal about sharing the bed. It was an enormous bed, so big that they wouldn’t even have to touch each other as they slept. More than that, they’d already slept together in the other sense of the words. So what was the problem?  It was probably just one of the many small ways Hux thought he had control over Kylo. He made Kylo endure sleeping on the too-narrow couch, all so that Hux could feel like he had the high ground. Whatever. Let him live in that fantasy if he wanted to. 

Kylo turned around to consider the heart-shaped bathtub in the refresher. It was made of pink porcelain with golden taps, and the control panel on the wall told him that it had features he couldn’t even begin to fathom. It was also nearly big enough for Kylo to stretch out in. Maybe he could sleep in here tonight, if he just tossed a pillow in. That would be more comfortable than sleeping on the couch, at least. As an added bonus, the air conditioning didn’t blast quite so strong in the refresher. Their hut was frigidly cold, as Hux had taken control of the cooling unit as well, setting it to his preferred temperature of just-above freezing. Kylo was now chilled to the bone. Thankfully, Scarif had no shortage of heat to unthaw him, and all Kylo had to do was go outside.

Hux was at the desk in their hut, engrossed in his datapad and looking as gleeful as Kylo had ever seen him. This was because Hux had found the silver lining in Snoke’s mistake: if they didn’t have to spend their days at the resort wrapped up in various team building activities, that meant that Hux had several days of uninterrupted time to work. 

He was entirely absorbed in it already, and he’d gone as far as to hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign from the edge of the desk. It wasn’t until Kylo was leaving the room that Hux even glanced up. 

“Where are you going?” he asked, fingers still moving over the keys of his datapad. 

“The beach,” Kylo said. He’d thought that his clothing made it obvious. Kylo didn’t usually bring anything with him on missions, other than the robes on his back, but this time he’d thought to bring a bag of training clothes. Now he was dressed in a pair of loose pants, which seemed more appropriate for the beach than his robes and cowl. 

“Did you put sunscreen on?” Hux asked.

“No,” Kylo said with a scoff. 

“You’ll burn out there.”

“I’m not as delicate as you are.”

Hux let out an annoyed huff. “Fine,” he said, turning back to his datapad and effectively blocking Kylo out again.

Ugh. Kylo could never tell when he was pushing Hux too far - whether his comments would needle Hux into escalating the argument (good), or make him withdraw from it entirely ( _bad_ ). Kylo hesitated for several long moments before he asked, “Where do I get sunscreen?”

Hux directed him to the small table of amenities beside the door. Kylo picked through the bottles of exotic lotions and massage oils before locating the sunscreen. He returned to Hux’s side and offered it to him.

Hux looked up at him incredulously. “You can’t expect me to put this on you,” he said.

“I can’t reach my back,” Kylo replied. 

“Can’t you use the Force?”

“That’s not how the Force works.”

Hux let out another annoyed huff. “ _Fine._  Sit on the bed so I can make this quick.”

Kylo obeyed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. The moments seemed to stretch on as he waited. He could hear Hux’s movements out of sight, and then the bed dipped as Hux settled behind him. Another moment passed, and then Kylo gasped at the feeling of cold sunscreen squirting onto his back. 

“What’s wrong?” Hux goaded as he began to rub the lotion in. “Surely a hardened warrior like yourself has dealt with worse trials than a bit of cold sunscreen?”

“It just- surprised me,” Kylo said, gritting his teeth. Hux hummed in amusement. As the sunscreen warmed to Kylo’s skin, he started to enjoy the feeling of Hux’s cold, boney hand massaging it into his back, and Kylo felt his eyes flutter shut. It was all too soon when Hux withdrew and tossed the bottle onto the bed. 

“Finish yourself off,” Hux said.

Kylo groaned a little. Hux used those same words often when they fucked, and they caused the same jolt of arousal now. Kylo found himself obeying without thinking as he picked up the sunscreen for himself, squirting out a generous amount to rub over his chest and arms. 

Hux returned to his work, unconcerned with Kylo once again. Kylo spent a moment considering saying 'goodbye’ before he left the hut without a word.  

From the moment the humid Scarif air touched him, Kylo could already feel himself beginning to unthaw. It was rare that he felt sunlight on his skin but it was exactly what he needed after spending the night in their frigid hut. He followed the sandy path from their hut, canopied on both sides by the palm trees that were native to Scarif, until the brilliant blue ocean stretched out before him. 

The beach was crowded with couples, wading together in the water, strolling along the beach hand-in-hand, or lounging together on the sand, wrapped up in activities of various levels of public appropriateness. Despite having previously been an Imperial planet, the resorts that now littered Scarif were frequented by beings of all species of the galaxy. Kylo saw Torgruta, Mon Calamari, Orgons, and dozens more species along the beach, entwined with hands holding tentacles, paws stroking lovingly over tusks, bodies pressed against carapaces…

Kylo felt painfully conspicuous. He always did when he wasn’t wearing his helmet, and it wasn’t helped by the realization that he was the only single being there. 

His entire body felt stiff and awkward as he crossed the beach, feet sinking in to the hot sand, until he reached the lapping waves on the shore. The water was warm from the sun and Kylo waded in, letting it engulf him. He waded deeper until his feet could just barely touch the sand beneath, then kicked off to swim. 

It felt good to push his muscles against the resistance of the water, exertion without any pain or challenge. Seawater was so different than the recycled water of a star destroyer. Kylo could feel the living Force moving through the water in its natural, uncontrolled state, and it was easy to lose himself in the motion of the waves. 

Before Kylo realized it, he’d already swam around the entirety of the island several times. He took a break among a rocky outcropping, climbing up onto a sea-smoothed rock to let the sun dry him for a few moments. 

Scarif’s sun was hot, and Kylo soon had to slip back into the water to cool down. It was a good thing that Hux had made him put on sunscreen. Kylo grinned to remember the feeling of Hux’s cold hand on his back. Sometimes he wondered if Hux was even aware of how fondly he acted towards Kylo. Probably not. Hux was so determined to prove himself superior that he took every chance available to belittle Kylo, which was fine; Kylo had never had anyone else to argue with like he argued with Hux. It felt good to be able to push against someone without worrying that Kylo would break them with too much force. 

When Kylo reached the beach again, he waded out of the water and paused at the ocean’s edge. His good mood evaporated as the conspicuous feeling returned. Couples all around him were laying on towels or blankets but Kylo hadn’t brought anything with him. Maybe he should have. He’d have to remember for the next time he came here. Ignoring the gritty feeling, he sat down in the sand and stretched out to let the sun dry him. 

It took only a moment for him to sense that he was being watched.   
  
He opened his eyes to find a pair of Twi'leks beside him. The woman smiled. She was covered by no more than a pair of bikini bottoms and her lekku, and she leaned in closer to Kylo.

“Here alone?” she asked. The man behind her, just as beautiful, smiled as well. 

“Uh. Yeah,” Kylo answered eloquently. 

“What a shame,” she said. “Maybe you’d like to join us?”

Pity from strangers always brought Kylo back to the days when the more popular children would invite him to play with them, only to make Kylo the bantha in a game of 'pin the ears on the bantha’. “No thanks,” he said, drawing in towards himself.

“What I mean is,” the Twi'lek continued, “Maybe you’d like to join us back at our hut?”

Kylo realized what he was being asked - if he was willing to have a threesome with a beautiful Twi'lek couple. 

Embarrassingly, he could feel his face turning red.

“Oh. No. I’m, uh. I’m here with someone,” he stammered. “He just doesn’t like the beach.”

“He could join us too,” the woman suggested.

Kylo’s expression darkened into a scowl. “ _No,_ ” he said, gruffly enough that both Twi'leks drew back in alarm. They murmured to each other for a moment before standing from the beach and making a quick departure. 

Once the Twi'leks were out of sight, Kylo stretched out in the sand again. He imagined himself returning to the hut to share the Twi'leks’ offer with Hux. It would rile Hux up into a good argument at least. Then again, Hux might say yes just to be contrary, and Kylo wasn’t going to take that risk. This was the first time in ages that Hux didn’t have all the little officers and stormtroopers on the Finalizer trailing after him. Kylo finally had Hux all to himself, to poke at whenever he liked. 

Granted, Kylo was currently alone at the beach, while Hux was back at the hut with his attention dedicated completely to his work. 

Kylo got to his feet and glanced out over the endless ocean. He might have to come back to the beach to unthaw again if Hux insisted on keeping the temperature in their hut so low, or maybe, if Kylo played his cards right, he could find another way to keep warm with Hux. That meant that this might be the last time Kylo saw the beach, but that didn’t matter. Kylo didn’t even bother glancing back as he left. He hated sand anyway. 

* * *

Back at the hut, Hux was exactly where Kylo had left him that morning. The empty caf cup on the desk was the only indication that Hux had moved at all. And why should he move? He had everything he needed for a productive day: a datapad, a caf machine, and full control of the cooling unit.

Kylo spent a moment in the doorway watching Hux before crossing the room to lean against the edge of the desk. Hux knew what was coming. He began frantically clicking the save button on the datapad seconds before Kylo swiped a hand over its screen to shut it down.

Hux turned a long-suffering scowl up at Kylo. “What do you want?” he demanded.

“Want to have dinner?”

A crease appeared between Hux’s brows, but he nodded. “I suppose it’s that time of day. There’s a room service menu near the door, bring it here.”

“I was thinking we could go down to restaurant.”

The annoyed crease between Hux’s eyebrows deepened.

“There’s a bar there.”

“Very well,” Hux agreed. He pushed the chair back from the desk and stood, crossing over to the balcony door to look outside. Kylo could guess what he was trying to judge. Scarif’s sun had started its long descent from the sky to set for the night, but the temperature of the planet was still just as hot as it was during the day.

“You should wear something cooler,” Kylo said. He grabbed his bag of training clothes and offered it to Hux for him to pick something out. Hux looked at him like he was offering a rotting gorryl slug instead.

“They’re clean,” Kylo insisted.

“I have my own clothing,” Hux said flatly.

Kylo was just trying to be companionable, trying to offer Hux the option of going outside without melting from the heat in his stifling shore leave uniform, but Hux was so damned uptight. Rolling his eyes, Kylo disappeared to the refresher.

He quickly rinsed off the sand and salt from the beach, then picked through the clothing as he tried to decide what to wear. Uptight or not, Hux had been far more agreeable to dinner than Kylo expected, and Kylo wanted to make a good impression. His training clothing didn’t offer too many options, but Kylo pulled out a shirt and shorts that looked mostly unwrinkled. He finished the look by tying back his damp hair, then hurried out of the refresher before Hux could start complaining about Kylo taking too long.

He was surprised to find that Hux had decided to change his clothing after all, and he was only half dressed. That was odd. Hux was an efficient dresser and could dress from naked to full uniform in a matter of seconds.

That was when Kylo realized that what he had mistook for standard issue First Order underwear was actually…

Shorts.

“Are you finally ready to leave?” Hux asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kylo gaped at him. “You’re… you’re wearing those outside?”

The white shorts were made of the same khaki material that most First Order short leave clothing was, as utilitarian in design as possible. They only covered a few inches of Hux’s white thighs. Long legs with an almost invisible dusting of red hair stretched on for miles, and Kylo couldn’t stop staring.

“What’s the problem?”

“They’re…”  _Ridiculous. Obscene. Kind of sexy._  “… short.”

“That’s why they’re called  _shorts,_  Ren.”

“They’re not supposed to be that short! They’re supposed to be like this.” Kylo motioned to his own shorts that covered him nearly to the knee. Hux usually dressed so austere that even being ungloved was considered ‘showing skin’, so Kylo couldn’t believe that he now intended to step out in public like this.

Hux sneered. “I don’t know what sort of opulent world you were raised on, but First Order worlds cannot afford to waste unnecessary material on clothing that is called - I repeat -  _shorts._ ”

Mistaking Kylo’s gaping expression for having won the argument, Hux made to brush past him. “Now come along and show me where the bar is,” he said.

All the air whooshed out of Kylo’s lungs as he realized that the shorts were so much worse (better?) from behind. Hux’s ass was so flat that it was almost non-existent, but the cut of the shorts added a subtle, enticing curve that Kylo was reaching for before he realized.

“Ren!” Hux snarled. He struggled for a moment as Kylo crowded him against the wall, before he managed to steady himself. “Unhand me.”

“Take these damned shorts off,” Kylo growled.

Hux struggled again, but it had become much more of a deliberate wriggle as he pressed himself back into Kylo’s hands.

“Why?” he asked, voice lilting upwards teasingly. “I’m sure you could just tug them aside and fuck me like this.”

Heat pooled in Kylo’s stomach as he tightened his grip. Despite the added curve from the shorts, Hux’s ass was just as tiny as it always was and Kylo loved the feeling of it in his palms. He squeezed tighter, letting his fingers slip up the leg of the shorts to press into the flesh where leg met ass.

“Do you want me to try?” Kylo asked.

Hux’s bony elbow pressed into Kylo’s ribs to back him off enough that Hux could turn and face him. He looked up at Kylo with the affectionate, condescending sneer that always made Kylo melt.

“Didn’t I tell you to show me where the bar was?” he said.

Kylo drew back with a reluctant nod. Hux patted his arm.

“Good boy.”

* * *

_Bushes of Love_  was an open-air restaurant set up in a garden that overlooked the ocean. The tables were arranged among potted flowers and in alcoves in the hedges, and a band of Bith was playing slow, romantic songs to set the mood as Scarif’s sun set.

Kylo and Hux were brought to a seat at a table surrounded by brightly colored flowers. Hux ordered a triple whiskey from the server before they were even handed menus, and when it arrived, his hand curled around the glass affectionately. Kylo watched the way his eyes fluttered at the first sip. Kylo didn’t care for alcohol - it tasted awful, and he’d never gotten over the childhood betrayal of Han Solo handing him a bottle of Corellian Rum and saying it was apple juice - but Hux took true pleasure in its taste. He finished the first glass by the time their food arrived, and ordered another.

As the server droid rolled back with a fresh whiskey for Hux, Kylo used the Force to pull the glass towards himself before Hux’s hand could close around it.

“Ren!” Hux snapped. He made a fruitless grab at the glass. “Give that back!”

“I’ll give it back,” Kylo agreed as the glass hovered at his side, “but we need to talk first.”

Hux’s expression was furious. “Then we have a problem, because I can’t bear talking to you unless I have that whiskey first,” he spat.

Good, there was still plenty of fight in Hux. He tended to get too maudlin and affectionate when he was drink, and Kylo wanted to have this conversation while Hux was still his prickly, sober self.

“You need to spend more time with me,” Kylo told him.

Hux’s sneer turned mocking. “I’m sorry, my darling Ren. Have I been ignoring your needs?”

“Leader Snoke sent us here to be together. You spent all day working.”

“You’re welcome to remain in the room with me while I work.” Seeing that the whiskey was not getting any closer to him, Hux let out a sigh. “But perhaps you are right. We’ll be required to report back to Snoke on the results of our 'team building’. I cannot tell him I ignored his orders and spent my time on Order business instead.” Hux straightened and met Kylo’s eye. “If you can propose an acceptable activity, I would… consider spending the day with you tomorrow.”

Kylo tried to hold back the grin that was threatening to spring to his face. This was easier than he expected. “There’s a hiking trail along the back of the island-”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Hux crossed his arms. “I’m not going out in the heat during the day. Especially because you seem to take such offense at my shorts.”

To make his point, Hux pushed back his chair so Kylo caught a glimpse of the little shorts that barely covered Hux. Kylo maintained that they were ridiculous, but the couples around them seemed to be too wrapped up in each other to even notice how good Hux looked in them.

“You can wear them,” Kylo conceded.

Hux nodded. “It’s settled then. But I warn you, Ren - you’re only getting one chance. Snoke’s orders or not, I won’t be wasting any more time with you if you make a mess of this.”

That was good enough for Kylo, and he let the whiskey glass float back across the table and into Hux’s waiting hands.

By the time dessert arrived (whip treat for Kylo and another whiskey for Hux), Kylo had almost forgotten that there was any music playing in the garden. As the band switched over to a new song, however, Hux perked up.

“ _Oh,_ ” he said. “This is a song from Arkanis.”

Kylo turned his ear to the music. It wasn’t particularly melodic, and Kylo thought it a bit too reminiscent of the tinny songs that were always used in Imperial holodramas, but it clearly had some meaning to Hux. He closed his eyes and sentiment radiated off him.

“This is your favorite song,” Kylo said, surprised at the realization.

Hux hated when Kylo read his thoughts or moods, but he did not seem to mind this time, perhaps due to the alcohol. The alcohol may have also been why Hux was swaying slightly. Or, maybe it was the music. Kylo wasn’t going to miss this chance.

“Do you want to dance?” Kylo asked.

Hux nodded and led the way to a small open area near the band where a few couples were swaying together. He raised one hand and Kylo stared at it, suddenly consumed by dread as he realized his mistake. He tentatively placed his hand in Hux’s, and then Hux did some maneuver so that they were pressed together with Hux’s other hand resting on the small of Kylo’s back.

“Uh, I,” Kylo stammered, low enough that only Hux could hear. “I. Don’t know how to dance.”

“What?” Hux’s gaze snapped up to stare at him. “Then why did you ask me?”

“I don’t know. I thought you wanted to.” Kylo had really screwed this one up. Would it look too awkward if they just went back to their table now?

Hux sighed. “Put your hand on my shoulder and follow my lead.”

Kylo complied, awkwardly laying his hand on Hux’s shoulder. It rested like a dead weight there, and his feet felt several sizes too large as he shuffled them along the ground, trying not to stumble. He couldn’t find any rhythm to the song, but Hux’s hand on his back steered him along and Kylo tried his best to follow.

All things considered, they managed reasonably well - no one was staring at them at least. When Kylo dragged his attention back to Hux, he found Hux looking up at him with an amused expression, lightly flushed from the alcohol.

“Is dancing forbidden by the Sith?” he asked.

“What?”

“Is that why you never learned how to dance?”

“I’m not a Sith.”

Hux let out a huff that might have been laughter. “I don’t understand you, Ren. Sometimes I think you must have grown up as the most spoiled and pampered child, living in a palace and going to luxurious galas. Other times it seems like you must have been raised on a backwoods moisture farm.”

Kylo tensed up again, one foot tripping over the other as he did. “Supreme Leader forbids me from talking about-”

“Oh, for kriffs sake.” Hux sighed. “I know, Ren. I’m just making conversation.”

“… Sorry-”

“Enough.” Hux’s expression was his usual sneer, but maybe it was the fading sunlight that softened it. “Be quiet for now, and let me listen to this song.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is made up of four Huxlolidays prompts:
> 
> July 9 - Wilderness camping/hiking  
> July 11 - When the A/C breaks down  
> July 13 - I don't have any swimsuit!  
> July 15 - Fireworks
> 
> This story is currently on hiatus until the end of August. Updates will be posted to [my tumblr](http://helvel.tumblr.com/) (and cross posted here a few days after) once I start writing them again :)

It had been a while since Hux woke to the throb of pain behind his eyelids that told him he’d drank too much the night before. He took a moment to relish in the feeling of it. As General of the First Order, he was always  _on duty,_  whether he was on the bridge or not. It would be careless to indulge when he could be called into action at any moment. Hux was more than willing to make that sacrifice for the sake of the Order, but for now, he welcomed his current freedom - specifically the freedom to enjoy whiskey until his brain turned off and he could finally get some peace.  

Aching pleasantly, Hux luxuriated beneath the silk sheets of the bed. The sting of sunlight behind his eyelids was another welcome ache. How long had it been since he awoke anywhere but the contained darkness of a star destroyer? Hux stretched out as far as his limbs would reach, until his fist collided with something too warm and solid to be a pillow.

Hux blearily opened his eyes and followed the length of his arm until he found his hand pressed halfway into a sleeping, snoring Kylo’s mouth.

“ _Ren,_ ” Hux snarled, voice hoarse from sleep. His immediate reaction was to kick out with all his might.

Naked limbs flailed and Kylo yelped. as graceful as He moved through the Force, he fell from the bed like a sack of tubers, landing with a thump that rattled the walls of the hut.  

A low moan followed a second later. “What the hell, Hux?”

“I might ask the same thing. What were you doing in my bed?”

“You said I could sleep with you.”

Hux nearly laughed at how ridiculous that was. “I most certainly did not.”

“You did,” Kylo insisted. “… you were drunk,” he added.

Oh, right. That explained it. The memory was foggy, but it came back to Hux, along with a horrifying realization.

“Did we have sex last night?” Hux asked, just to confirm. He hoped they had. It would make the offer to share a bed a little more explainable at least.

“No,” Kylo said. “You were pretty drunk. I, uh. I don’t…”

“Don’t what, Ren?” Hux prompted, sneering. His skin was crawling, knowing that he’d shared a bed with Kylo despite having not even fucked first. He needed this now, for Kylo to try to placate him with some sort of  _I’m a gentleman, I wouldn’t take advantage of you_ bullshit that Hux could happily throw back in his face. Of course Kylo couldn’t even give Hux that.

“I don’t like you when you’re drunk,” Kylo said.

“You- what?”

“I said I don’t like you when you’re drunk,” Kylo repeated. “You’re too nice. It’s weird.”

Hux could feel his face growing red. “Well I don’t like you _ever,_ ” he snapped. It was the most childish taunt that had come out of his mouth since he was an actual child, but Kylo had a knack for bringing that out in him. Hux rolled from the bed and strode to the refresher before he could embarrass himself even more this morning.

The refresher was a mess. Discarded towels littered the floor along with the still-soggy trousers that Kylo had worn to the beach yesterday. Hux dumped the lot of them into the laundry hatch. He assumed the trousers would find their way back to the hut somehow, but Hux didn’t really care. He agreed to spend the day with Kylo, but that didn’t mean they had to be friendly or have  _healthy communication styles_ to do so.

Hux eyed the heart-shaped bathtub. It was ridiculous, in design and function. The amount of water required to fill it for a single bather was enough to make Hux shudder. He wasn’t using First Order resources here, though.  With that in mind, Hux reached for the taps.

Something about spending half an hour soaking in citrus-scented bubbles improved Hux’s mood considerably. He rose from the water with a new-found determination to make the most of his day with Kylo. Hux had set out the ultimatum after all. If Kylo failed at this, Hux had reasonable justification to continue ignoring him for the rest of their stay here.

Hux wrapped one of the resort-branded bathrobes around himself before emerging from the refresher. The room was empty, but he caught sight of Kylo out on the balcony, lounging in one of the chairs and - apparently still naked.

It was a glorious sight, if Hux was being honest. It was also a sight that was likely to get them thrown out of the resort for public indecency.

Hux bolted across the room and wrenched open the balcony door. “ _Ren,_ ” he hissed, hoping not to draw any attention to them. “Get inside before someone sees you!”

Unconcerned, Kylo glanced up from the cup of milky caf he was sipping.

“Are you done in the ‘fresher?” he asked.

“Am I- yes, for kriff’s sake, now get in here!” Hux hustled Kylo in through the balcony doors and quickly shut them, yanking the curtains closed for good measure. “What were you thinking, sitting out there like that?”

Kylo stood with his arms wrapped around himself, apparently warding off the chill of the air-conditioned room. “It’s too cold in here. And all my clothes are in the refresher.”

“Go put them on now, before someone reports you for public indecency.”

“If this place cared about public indecency, they wouldn’t get any business at all.” Kylo turned his cocky, lop-sided grin on Hux. “And if anything should be reported for indecency, it’s your shorts.”

“ _Go,_ ” Hux ordered, pointing Kylo towards the refresher.

Blessedly alone once more, Hux dressed himself in the shorts that Kylo found to be so obscene. At least they would keep Hux cool as they trekked through the island wilderness today. A small part of Hux was looking forward to it. Hux had grown up on exile ships and star destroyers, but his childhood self had imagined what it would be like to be planetside exploring the uncharted wilderness. Those daydreams were long passed by the time he’d reached survival training at the Academy, but Hux’s interest in it had held, particularly after reading the memoirs of Grand Moff Tarkin and learning how the wilderness survival skills that Tarkin learned during his upbringing on Eriadu distinguished him among his peers.

It was that interest that led to Hux’s impulsive purchase on a previous shore leave. He reached into his bag and drew out the utility vest. Hux knew he was being foolish when he packed it for this mission, but now he was glad he did. Their hike today was the perfect opportunity to wear it.

Kylo emerged from the refresher, finally clothed. He froze the moment he spotted Hux.

“Go on,” Hux snapped, “Get it over with. I won’t have you ogling me while we’re hiking.” Hux turned in a slow circle, allowing Kylo a good look at the shorts he complained about so much.

It appeared that the shorts weren’t his concern this time though. He stared at Hux’s vest, trying to hold back his laughter.

“What the hell is that?” he snickered.

“Are your referring to my vest?” Hux crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

“Why does it have so many pockets?”

“They contain supplies for survival in the wilderness.”

“We’re not even leaving the island! You won’t need it.” Kylo paused. “And it looks ridiculous.”

Of course Kylo would complain about the way the vest looked. Kylo was far too concerned with appearances. He spent too much time maintaining his Vader-wannabe aesthetic, and Hux was fairly certain he used the Force to make sure his hair was always perfectly tousled.

Hux was in no mood to put up with Kylo’s taunts today. “If you’re finished mocking my vest, we can begin our hike now.”

“The pockets are-”

“We can begin our hike now,” Hux clarified.

* * *

The far side of the island was shaded by thick tropical forest that provided some shelter from Scarif’s hot sun, and the occasional gust of sea breeze helped to keep Hux cool as they hiked. It wasn’t enough. The humidity was so oppressive that Hux felt damp as soon as they left the hut, and now, after nearly an hour of hiking, he was becoming more uncomfortable by the second. The pomade in his hair had melted, leaving it limp and hanging on his forehead. Hux brushed it back with his fingers and they came away damp with the sweat that clung to his brow.

A few yards ahead, Kylo was leading their hike, occasionally glancing down at what Hux assumed was a holomap of the island. The heat agreed with him much more than it did with Hux. Only the lightest sheen of sweat had broken out on Kylo’s skin, and it highlighted the flex of muscles as he moved through the jungle, sunlight catching on broad shoulders and flexing biceps. Even Kylo’s hair remained as perfectly fluffed as ever. He navigated them through the forest with ease, knowing exactly how to move and where to step so that he bobbed along the trail like it was the easiest thing in the galaxy.

Following Kylo’s lead, Hux forced himself onward through the heat and tried not to lag behind. He would not ask to take a break. If he’d been born twenty years earlier, he might have been stationed on Scarif with the Imperial army, and he would be dressed in uniform rather than the breezy shorts he was wearing now. He would not be able to plead the excuse of being too hot then, and he would not do it now.

He plodded onward as best he could, yet at last it became too much. If he pressed on too much longer, he might faint. “Ren,” he called ahead, “is it much farther to the end?”

Ren turned around, glowing in the heat. “Huh? I don’t know,” he said helpfully.

“What does your map say?”

“What map?”

“That thing you’re looking at.”

Kylo held up the device in his hand. It was not a holomap, as Hux had assumed, but a Comlink 6S. A communication channel named 'xxKORxx’ was on its screen, and messages from Kylo’s Knights scrolled by. As Hux stared at it, a message from Taro Ren popped up.  _tfw your helmet latch gets crusted shut with blood,_  it read, accompanied by an image of a wailing rancor.

Hux turned a sharp glare on Kylo. “Do you have any idea where we are?” he demanded.

“No, but-”

“So you’ve just been leading us through the jungle, with no sense of where we’re going, because you’re too distracted by chatting with your friends?”

“Hux, I-”

“Tell me the truth - are we lost?”

“No! We’re not lost.” Kylo scowled at him. “This trail is maintained by the resort. A child could follow it without a map.” Kylo pointed to the ground, were a condom wrapper lay discarded among the foliage. “See? This trail is just an excuse for couples to sneak off into the bushes and have outdoor sex away from the resort.”

Hux stared at the condom wrapper, wondering if Kylo was right. Was Hux really at his limit of heat and exertion, just from a low difficulty trail meant for couples to swoon over each other on?

“The resort even packs picnic lunches for anyone going along the trail.” Kylo reached in his bag and drew out two packed tins of field rations. He offered one to Hux. “Want to take a break?”

Hux followed Kylo to the shade beside an outcropping where Kylo perched on the edge of a rock. Thoroughly embarrassed, Hux sat some distance away. Back at the Academy, he’d excelled in survival training. He was still in good shape, he knew he was. It had to be the heat. He thrived in the cold, and Scarif’s high temperatures just didn’t agree with him. It made him irritable (more irritable) and short tempered (shorter tempered). It didn’t help that Kylo’s mere presence always brought out the worst in Hux.

Perhaps an apology was in order. Kylo hadn’t led them astray, after all, and Hux’s overreaction had been completely uncalled for. Hux glanced over at Kylo, who was gnawing on a ration bar. Then again, an apology might be too much team building for one day.

Hux lifted the lid of the ration tin to examine the lunch packed inside. There were hydration tablets (Hux chewed a few), dried berries, protein cubes, and even a thermos of caf. As much as Hux craved it, he didn’t dare touch a hot drink in this weather. When his fingers brushed against its surface, however, the thermos was cold. Hux unscrewed the lid and took a sip, a satisfied smile passing over his face as he did. The caf inside was iced, and he couldn’t imagine anything more refreshing at that moment than the cold, bitter drink.

Kylo didn’t find it quite so pleasant, and he gagged after taking a swallow. He always took his caf with sugar, at the very least, and Hux couldn’t resist teasing him about it.

“Can’t you drink black caf like an adult?” he asked.

Kylo wrinkled his nose. “I don’t like it. It tastes disgusting, and It upsets my stomach.”

“Poor Ren.” Despite his instinct to tease Kylo, the cool air in their rest spot was making Hux feel more amicable. He opened one of the pockets on his vest and drew out a packet of sweetener to offer to Kylo.

A grin spread across Kylo’s face when he saw it. “This is what you consider survival supplies?” he asked as he made to take the packet. A second before his fingers touched it, Hux pulled it from his reach.

“Apologize for mocking my vest,” he said.

“Give it to me!”

“Apologize first.”

Kylo lunged for the sweetener, bowling over Hux and knocking the both of them to the ground.

Hux yelped, attempting to roll out of his grasp. Kylo could overpower him easily with the Force, but it took only a moment of struggle to realize that Kylo wasn’t reaching for the sweetener anymore, and instead seemed focused on groping Hux through his shorts.

Hux could tell what he was playing at easily enough.

Hux forced them backwards, rolling atop Kylo to straddle him. Kylo let himself be pinned and went limp as Hux gripped his jaw.

“Apologize,” Hux demanded.

“I’m sorry, Hux,” Kylo gasped, limp and compliant. He was always so much more agreeable like this.

“Sorry for what?”

“For making fun of your ugly vest. And…”

“And?”

“For not bringing anything to fuck you with! I didn’t know you’d want to, out here.”

Grinning, Hux dropped the sweetener packet on Kylo’s chest and opened another one of his pockets. “You’re so lucky I wore my vest, Ren.”

* * *

Their romp in the jungle had been just the thing to diffuse the tension between them, but it had been too much. It had crossed the line. Hux, who was already past his limit of exertion in the heat, was nearly at his boiling point.

His military upbringing was the only thing that prevented him from slouching forward and outright panting. He would remain dignified, even if he was flushed red and dripping with sweat. His back remained rigidly straight as he scanned the room cylinder at the door to their hut, though his footsteps may have shuffled just a bit as he hurried into the cool air of their hut.

It was bliss. Hux closed his eyes, letting the icy breeze wash over him. It clung to his sweat-damp clothes, wrapping around him like an embrace. This was how he was meant to live. Hux could withstand a great many discomforts but the heat was not one of them.

It seemed like only seconds had passed before the cooling unit gave a horrible screech. Then it went silent, and the gust of cold air stopped.

“Turn in back on,” Hux snapped at Kylo.

“That wasn’t me.”

“Turn it back on,” Hux repeated. He knew that Kylo found the cold temperature of the room uncomfortable, but Hux had made it perfectly clear that Kylo was not to touch the controls for the cooling unit. Especially not at a time like this, when Hux was about to melt.

When Kylo still did not reengage the cooling unit, Hux turned around to glare at him. Yet Kylo was sprawled out on the couch, nowhere near the wall panel with the cooling unit’s controls. As Hux strode over to it, the panel’s screen lit up with a message:

_Maintenance in Progress_  
_Cooling units are expected to be functional within 2 hours_  
_Please enjoy a complementary drink at Bushes of Love!_

It was no matter. Planetside maintenance crews rarely understood the level of work that was required of them, shutting down the entire generator when only one distant unit needed maintenance. Hux brought up the wall panel’s menu, quickly navigating through its controls until he’d overridden the security restrictions and reengaged the cooling unit. It whirled to life again with the briefest puff of cool air, then fell silent again.

It must have been the generator itself that went down. Hux grit his teeth. He had half a mind to storm down to the generator and take the maintenance into his own hands, but that would involve leaving the hut. It remained cool for the moment, but in Scarif’s high temperatures, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

“ _Dammit,_ ” Hux cursed quietly as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. He could really use that complementary drink to quell the rising panic in his chest, but  _Bushes of Love_  was also outdoors, back in the heat and sun that had put Hux in this predicament in the first place.

Kylo, terrible creature that he was, was looking at Hux with something resembling concern. Thankfully he held his tongue. Hux turned his back and strode away, taking a seat at the desk and allowing his posture to slump just a little. Minutes passed as he attempted to adapt to what was left of the cool air in the room. Sweat continued to bead on his skin. He wasn’t getting any warmer, now that he was no longer exerting himself on their hike, but he also didn’t seem to be getting any cooler.  

“ _Dammit,_ ” Hux cursed again. He was actually going to be sick if he couldn’t cool down soon. At least being rushed to a medical bay with heat exhaustion would be a good excuse to Snoke as to why their team building retreat had failed. With Hux’s luck, the tabloid holozines would get ahold of the information, and the Resistance would launch an attack in his moment of weakness, trying to get a foothold over the First Order in its leader’s absence.

Hux turned slightly, not looking at Kylo directly. “Can you use the Force?” he asked.

“Huh?” Kylo asked, glancing up from his comlink. “For what?”

Damn him for making Hux say it out loud. Hux couldn’t bring his voice above a whisper. “To…  _to cool me down._ ”

Kylo said nothing, but Hux heard him rise and draw near. He held out his hand when he reached Hux’s side. Hux stared at it for a long moment before placing his hand in Kylo’s.

The effect was immediate. Cold pierced through him, as if the icy air of a cooling unit was flowing directly through Hux’s veins. It was exactly what Hux needed. It was  _magnificent._  Hux could hear himself make some sound, a breathy moan of relief that he would deny until his dying day. He couldn’t help it though. He felt like a brand new man.

At last, Hux became aware that Kylo’s palm felt warm against his own, returned to their usual difference in body temperatures. Hux opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) and lifted his gaze to look at Kylo.

Hux drew his hand back to himself, uncomfortable with the intimacy now that it was no longer necessary. There was no way around it, though. Kylo had done a favor for him, and gratitude was in order.

“Thank you,” Hux murmured quietly. Kylo’s expression crumbled, and he turned away with a shrug. They were both equally uncomfortable in platitudes, and Hux was grateful for it.

Feeling much more like himself again, Hux turned his thoughts to what he could do next. It was still over an hour until the cooling unit would be operational again. The hut was already growing uncomfortable. Where could Hux go to stay cool? The restaurant and bar were both open air. Hux supposed he could return to the resort’s front office, perhaps under the guise of inquiring at the reception desk about sightseeing in the local area. He didn’t particularly care to entertain that though.

At last he stood and strode to the door. He spared a glance at Kylo, sprawled out on the couch once again

“I’m going back to the ship,” Hux said.

Kylo seemed to understand his meaning. The command shuttle would provide escape from the heat within its sealed, temperature controlled hull. Hux would be able to stay cool there. Kylo considered it for a moment, before a stupid, lopsided grin appeared on his face.

“Why don’t we go swimming?” he suggested.

Hux considered the idea. Swimming would involve going to the beach, which meant going out in Scarif’s blazing heat. Yet Hux could imagine himself plunging into the cold water of the sea, its effects even more instant than a cooling unit. Sometimes Kylo had better ideas that Hux gave him credit for. Hux very nearly agreed, but then a realization struck him and he sighed.

“I didn’t bring a bathing costume,” he said.

Kylo stared at him for a long moment. “Did you just say  _bathing costume?_ ” he asked, trying not to laugh.

Hux was not sure where Kylo had been raised, but it often seemed like he didn’t understand perfectly common words and phrases in Basic. “Clothing to swim in,” he clarified.

Kylo snickered to himself. “Yeah, I get it. So just wear what you’re wearing now. Your shorts are tiny enough, anyway.”

Hux turned up his nose at the thought of swimming in his regular clothing. He was adequately covered, but it still seemed inappropriate. The resort didn’t seem to pay any mind to indecency, though. Kylo had been wearing only training trousers when he left for the beach yesterday, and he hadn’t been turned away.

Hux removed his vest and laid it aside for laundering. Dressed in a linen shirt and shorts, he straightened himself again and turned to face Kylo. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Hux was immediately struck by a number of concerning things at the beach. His own clothing, despite being inadequate for swimwear, was far more modest than anything else being worn. Humans and lesser species alike paraded around in next to nothing. Even Kylo at his side had left his shirt back at the hut. Kylo had attempted to convince Hux to do the same, and Hux had suggested that he may as well swim naked if that was the case. Kylo did not see a problem with that. A brief argument had followed, resulting in each of them doing exactly as they wanted - a standard outcome, as such.

Now that they were at the beach, however, it was clear that Kylo had not been exaggerating. There were hundreds of beings there, and as far as Hux could see, he was the only one who even had the decency to cover his shoulders.

More alarming than the hordes of near-naked beings was that Hux was becoming warm very quickly. He had already broken into a light sweat, and he would need to get in the water before desperation made him reach for Kylo’s hand again.

Kylo led them to a shaded space in the sand beside an outcropping of rocks, where he laid down a towel and kicked off his shoes without a care. Despite his hurry to get in the water, Hux took the time to unlace his boots and set them aside, neat as he was able to in the soft sand.

Kylo was already knee-deep in the sea when Hux joined him at the water’s edge. Hux took a step into the lapping waves, and immediately recoiled.

“It’s warm,” he said in shock.

He’d been expecting the sea to be like the lakes of Arkanis - icy waters, cold beyond comfort even for someone like Hux - but the sea water was warm from the sun, like bathwater that needed to be drained.

“It’s cooler in the deep,” Kylo called back at him, now waist deep in the water.

Hux waded in after him, still finding the water too warm for his preference, but it felt cooler at Hux’s feet as he moved deeper. It reached the edge of his shorts, then his waist, and up to his chest, until he sunk into the waves and pushed off to swim.

Not wanting to exert himself, Hux bobbed in the water in a shaded area, enjoying the cool touch on his limbs. Kylo, meanwhile, took to the water like a fish. He would dive under the water and swim a hundred meters at a time, then emerge just close enough to spit a mouthful of seawater at Hux and dive back under the water before Hux could smack him for it.

It was a strange feeling - doing nothing. Hux wasn’t sure if he’d ever experienced it before. No orders to give, no projects to oversee. He expected it would make him feel restless, but swimming worked well for distraction as he kept himself afloat. It helped as well to know that operations on the Finalizer were in Phasma’s capable hands. There really wasn’t much to do in the present moment. Hux watched the few clouds float across the sky, he watched the sunlight sparkle on the water. He swatted at Kylo again when another mouthful of water came in his direction. Doing nothing was actually kind of… nice.

At last, Hux called for Kylo to return to their hut. Kylo dived under the water, shooting past Hux like a missile, before getting to his feet where the water became waist deep. He turned towards Hux, glistening in the sunlight as he waited for Hux to reach him. 

 _The size of him!_  Hux thought. Kylo was intimidating in his robes and helmet, but even unclothed, his body held undeniable power. He was huge, broad in the chest and shoulders in way that Hux could never hope to be.

That brought Hux to an uncomfortable realization. Soaked as he was, his shirt clung to him, no longer holding the shape of its boning. It hung around his narrow shoulders and showed all too well the slim build that Hux had never managed to outgrow.

Self-conscious, Hux glanced out at the resort-goers on the beach. They were staring. Red hair always drew attention, and Hux was not imagining the looks cast in his direction. Of course Kylo had to be at his side, making him look even smaller. Hux glanced over at Kylo - and realized that Hux’s slight form might not be what was drawing stares.

Kylo’s shorts were made of a thin material, light and breathable for his training exercises. They also clung to him like a second skin when they were wet, leaving very little to the imagination with a clear outline of his flaccid cock against his leg. Hux found himself smiling as he glanced back at the beings on the beach, knowing that they were thinking the exact same thing that Hux was.  _The size of him!_

* * *

The hut was pleasantly cool when they returned, with the cooling unit whirring away again. Hux spent a moment luxuriating in the cool air before he collapsed on the bed. The day had not been as bad as he expected, but the heat had worn him out. He was entirely exhausted, and he let his eyes close for a moment.

The next thing he knew, Kylo was shaking him awake.

“Hey,” Kylo said, “come see the fireworks.”

Hux peered up at him blearily. The room was dark and there was a dull popping sound coming from the open balcony door. Too tired to understand what Kylo was saying, Hux complied with his request and followed him outside to see brilliant bursts of color over the water - the standard fireworks that were the grand finale of the Sunset Cruise each night. The balcony provided a perfect view over the water, and Hux slouched into one of the lounge chairs to watch.

He straightened again a second later as he remembered where they were. No matter how exhausted Hux was, it wouldn’t do for him to show such weakness publicly, not when anyone could glance over and see him on the balcony.

With his remaining energy dedicated to staying upright, Hux paid little attention to the fireworks in the distance. They were not particularly interesting, anyway. He instead found himself thinking of the far off day when the superweapon would be complete, and bright lights in the sky would be the last thing that the New Republic ever saw. Lost in the daydream, he let his unfocused eyes rest on Kylo’s silhouette against the night sky.

If they were on the Finalizer, they would be meeting with Snoke around this time. Hux could imagine what he would make issue of after their past few days together. Kylo’s mess, Kylo insulting him, Kylo not respecting Hux’s things. They’d argued frequently since arriving on Scarif, their near constant proximity giving them plenty of opportunities to get under each other’s skin. Yet without the opportunity to bring those arguments to the Supreme Leader, they’d still managed to reach a state of relative peace with one another.

It was odd, Hux thought. Nothing had changed between them since they’d arrived on Scarif. Perhaps they had just been going about things the wrong way all along.

“We may be able to make things work between us,” Hux said.

Kylo glanced back for a moment, before his shoulders drew up and he turned back to face the fireworks. “I don’t. I don’t feel the same way,” Kylo stammered.

“For kriff’s sake.” Hux rolled his eyes. “I’m not trying to confess my love for you, Ren. I mean we can settle our differences on our own, without the Supreme Leader’s involvement. We’ve managed these past few days.”

Kylo seemed to have finally warmed to the conversation, and he glanced back at Hux with a bit of a smirk. “Have we done it? Is this what ‘team building’ means?”

“Are you in agreement or not?”

With a shrug, Kylo turned back to the fireworks. “Sure.”

That was as cooperative as an answer that Hux could expect from Kylo, and it was enough. Hux stood from the chair, uninterested in watching the fireworks or continuing their conversation beyond what was already discussed. He glanced back at Kylo before crossing the threshold into the hut.

“There’s no need for us to be friends,” he reminded Kylo. But that did not mean they could not make things work between them.

 


End file.
